Grasshttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/grass
en-usSun, 02 Aug 2015 21:20:44 -0400Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:20:44 -0400The latest news on Grass from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/super-bowl-grass-phoenix-stadium-2015-2Why the grass at the Super Bowl is perfect even though it's an indoor stadiumhttp://www.businessinsider.com/super-bowl-grass-phoenix-stadium-2015-2
Sun, 01 Feb 2015 17:20:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p>The playing surface inside University of Phoenix Stadium for Super Bowl 49 looks impeccable.</p>
<p>It's blindingly green.</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/54cea06f6bb3f7c354806329-1200-900/super-bowl-field-2.jpg" border="0" alt="super bowl field"></p>
<p>This is natural grass, not the synthetic FieldTurf playing surfaces you see inside other indoor arenas across the NFL. While Phoenix Stadium does have a retractable roof, <a href="http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/29/super-bowl-xlix-university-of-phoenix-stadium-glendale-turf">Tim Newcomb of Sports Illustrated reports</a>, it's not large enough to let in the sort of sunlight you need to grow a two acre grass field.</p>
<p>To get around this problem, the stadium's designers made the field itself retractable. The field you see is actually a giant, 40-inch-deep tray that's on wheels. During the week, they roll it outside so it can get natural sunlight and grow properly.</p>
<p>On the Monday before the Super Bowl, the field was growing right outside the stadium:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54cea054eab8ea1d172ba36f-1200-747/super-bowl-field-outside.jpg" border="0" alt="super bowl field outside"></p>
<p>On Wednesday, the stadium's operators wheeled it back inside to get it ready for the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>It slides right in:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54ce9fb369bedd9858806328/super-bowl-field-rolling-in.gif" border="0" alt="super bowl field rolling in"></p>
<p>Here's what the entire process looks like:</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54ce9fb26bb3f76855806328/field-slides-in.gif" border="0" alt="field slides in"></p>
<p>Here's the stadium from above on Super Bowl Sunday:</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54cea6986da8112a6271b813-1059-596/screen shot 2015-02-01 at 5.19.23 pm.png" border="0" alt="super bowl field">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/super-bowl-grass-phoenix-stadium-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-field-conditions-england-italy-2014-6The Field That Will Host The Italy-England World Cup Game In 3 Days Looks Deadhttp://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-field-conditions-england-italy-2014-6
Wed, 11 Jun 2014 14:50:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img class="full" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5398a8ed6bb3f7b874491179-1199-685/manaus-field.jpg" border="0" alt="manaus field" /></p><p>The playing surface of Arena Amazonia in Manaus is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-world-cup-stadium-pitch-2014-6">patchy and streaked with dead grass</a> three days before it hosts a massive World Cup group stage game between England and Italy.</p>
<p>The head groundsman at the stadium admitted that it'd be in "bad shape" for the game, <a href="http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/patchy-turf-causing-concern-amazonian-cup-venue">telling the AP</a>&nbsp;"<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">We've started to implement an emergency plan to try to save the field and improve it as much as possible, but I don't think it'll be in good condition."</span></p>
<p>Matt Hughes of the Times of London toured the venue, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-manaus-2014-4">which sits in the middle of the jungle</a>, today and g<a href="https://twitter.com/MattHughesTimes/status/476783947603779584">ot some close-up photos</a> of the field.</p>
<p>It's less than ideal:</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5398a37b6bb3f7c26849116c-800-1072/grass-photo-manaus.jpg" border="0" alt="grass photo manaus" /></p>
<p>The field has a brown tinge:</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5398a3de69beddac02e9535c-800-596/manaus-field-brown.jpg" border="0" alt="manaus field brown" /></p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5398a9d8ecad044765989514-800-600/manaus-world-cup-box-1.jpg" border="0" alt="manaus world cup box" /></p>
<p>A FIFA source&nbsp;<a href="http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12040/9345755/world-cup-wayne-rooney-unfazed-by-condition-of-manaus-pitch-ahead-of-england-opener">told Sky Sports</a> that the grass died from "an excessive use of fertilizer."</p>
<p><span>"The maintenance has been complicated in Manaus. There're no roads, all the machinery and materials had to be brought by ship," the groundsman told the AP. "There's no fertilizer, no seeds. Everything has been complicated."</span></p>
<p>The U.S. plays Portugal in Manaus on Sunday, June 22.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-manaus-2014-4" >21 Photos Of Manaus, Brazil's Most Controversial World Cup Host City</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>NOW WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-facts-about-brazil-world-cup-2014-6" >13 Surprising Facts About Brazil</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-field-conditions-england-italy-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-world-cup-stadium-pitch-2014-6The Field At The World Cup Stadium In The Middle Of The Jungle Is In Terrible Shapehttp://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-world-cup-stadium-pitch-2014-6
Wed, 11 Jun 2014 08:37:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>The playing surface at the Arena Amazonia in the jungle outpost of Manaus <a href="http://www.afp.com/en/node/2491530">is in "poor condition" with 72 hours to go until the first game</a>, the AFP reports.</p>
<p>The field is "noticeably dry and particularly bare around one of the goal," according to the report.</p>
<p>Two photos of the grass from photographer Colin Droniou are getting passed around on Wednesday. It looks rough three days before the highly anticipated Italy-England group stage game:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Pictures reveal dreadful state of Manaus pitch just three days before England v Italy <a href="http://t.co/XTYmtVYxs6">http://t.co/XTYmtVYxs6</a> <a href="http://t.co/YCjekDjbuX">pic.twitter.com/YCjekDjbuX</a></p>
&mdash; Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeleFootball/statuses/476647914899779584">June 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>The pitch at <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Manaus&amp;src=hash">#Manaus</a>. Not the lush green billard table we were hoping for... <a href="http://t.co/wfQPG3E5VW">pic.twitter.com/wfQPG3E5VW</a></p>
&mdash; villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/villamadtweets/statuses/476673978573271040">June 11, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>At a cost of $290 million, the Arena Amazonia has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-manaus-2014-4">the most heavily criticized venue at the World Cup</a>. The city doesn't have a top-flight professional team, so there are fears that the arena will become a white elephant when the tournament is over. Teams have also complained about the exhausting amount of travel it takes to get to the city, and hot conditions they'll have to play in once they're there.</p>
<p>According to the Guardian, the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/11/manaus-pitch-brazil-world-cup-2014-england-italy">"excessive use of fertilizer"</a> is the reason for the poor playing surface.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-manaus-2014-4" >21 Photos Of Manaus, The World Cup's Most Controversial Host City</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/manaus-world-cup-stadium-pitch-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/the-grass-at-augusta-national-2014-4This Is What The Perfectly Manicured Grass At The Masters Looks Like Close Uphttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-grass-at-augusta-national-2014-4
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 08:35:00 -0400Jay Yarow
<p>Walking around Augusta National, home of the Masters tournament, is a bit like being on another planet.&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">On Planet Augusta National, the grass is perfect, radiant green, and no blade is out of place.</span></p>
<h3><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">While there for a practice round, we took a close photo of the grass:</span></h3>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/53453e61eab8ea6a4c5cf492-1197-898/augusta-grass-1.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" /><br /></span></p>
<h3><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;">Let's get in a little closer, shall we?</span><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5344b0966bb3f7426a0aca4f-1347-900/screen shot 2014-04-08 at 10.26.33 pm.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;">It's not all grass, though. There's also pine straw:</span><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5344b0956bb3f789650aca57-1259-837/screen shot 2014-04-08 at 10.24.37 pm.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;" /><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;">But really, it's the grass that catches your eye:</span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5344b095eab8eaf15f0d57f4-1348-899/screen shot 2014-04-08 at 10.25.06 pm.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;" /><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;">It's like a carpet:</span><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5344b09569bedd582dd9920f-1346-899/screen shot 2014-04-08 at 10.25.52 pm.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;" /><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;">And it just extends to the heavens at Augusta National:</span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5344b094eab8ead9590d57f8-1349-900/screen shot 2014-04-08 at 10.26.20 pm.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;" /><span style="line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.17em;">And in case you think this is something that just happens naturally in Augusta, here's a look at the lawn of a house that's 5 minutes from the golf course. It's a reminder that life is different on Planet Augusta National:</span><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5344b0946da811002b72c34f-1105-735/screen shot 2014-04-08 at 10.23.32 pm.png" border="0" alt="augusta grass" style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222; font-size: 15px;" /></h3><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-grass-at-augusta-national-2014-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/stan-wawrinka-has-an-insane-backyard-photo-2013-9The Guy Who Just Beat Andy Murray Has An Insane Backyardhttp://www.businessinsider.com/stan-wawrinka-has-an-insane-backyard-photo-2013-9
Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:09:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>US Open semifinalist Stan Wawrinka might not be a household name, but he has made more than $7 million in winnings during his career and is currently ranked in the top 10.</p>
<p>Judging by this picture that <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka/status/344479172791525378">he posted back in June</a>, he's putting that money to good use at his home in St. Barthelemy, Switzerland.</p>
<p>That's a regulation grass court on the edge of a vineyard.</p>
<p>Nice (<a href="https://twitter.com/BryanAGraham/status/375723425387782144">via @BryanAGraham</a>):</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5228f20f6bb3f70f548b4569-800-/stan-wawrinka-yard.jpg" border="0" alt="stan wawrinka yard" width="800" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stan-wawrinka-has-an-insane-backyard-photo-2013-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/justin-roses-giant-divot-at-pga-2013-8Justin Rose Takes The Biggest Divot We've Ever Seen At The PGA Championshiphttp://www.businessinsider.com/justin-roses-giant-divot-at-pga-2013-8
Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:23:00 -0400Leah Goldman
<p>On the opening day of the PGA Championship Justin Rose <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2013/8/8/4603530/justin-rose-pga-championship-2013-divot">took one of the biggest divots the world has ever seen</a>.</p>
<p>Before the tournament even started, everyone was talking about how thick the rough at Oak Hill was. Very thick, and four inches high, to be exact. USA Today's Steve DiMeglio tweeted out a photo of the treacherous rough last week:</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5200ffd469bedd5c0b000017-801-600/pga-championship-rough.jpg" border="0" alt="pga championship rough" width="801" height="600" /></p>
<p>And the combination of that thick rough and the recent rain, leaving the rough very wet, led to this for Justin Rose on the 13th hole yesterday (via <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2013/8/8/4603530/justin-rose-pga-championship-2013-divot">SB Nation</a>):</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/520514a2ecad04a04900001e/divotmonster.gif" border="0" alt="justin rose huge divot" /></p>
<p>Here's a photo the PGA tweeted out of the grass:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Anyone ever replace a divot as big as the one <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinRose99">@JustinRose99</a> had yesterday? <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23pgachamp&amp;src=hash">#pgachamp</a> <a href="http://t.co/rPRGWOy3y0">pic.twitter.com/rPRGWOy3y0</a></p>
&mdash; PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGAChampionship/statuses/365803516679294977">August 9, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>Rose is currently tied for 6th place at 3-under.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/justin-roses-giant-divot-at-pga-2013-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/us-honduras-gold-cup-field-is-awful-pictures-2013-7The Grass That The US Soccer Team Is Playing On Tonight Is An Utter Travestyhttp://www.businessinsider.com/us-honduras-gold-cup-field-is-awful-pictures-2013-7
Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:58:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>The U.S. men's national team plays Honduras in the Gold Cup semifinals tonight, and the sad state of the field is the big pregame talking point.</p>
<p>The game is being held at Cowboy Stadium outside Dallas. The playing surface is typically artificial turf, but real grass was brought in for tonight's Gold Cup games because soccer should always be played on grass.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this thing is a disaster.</p>
<p>There are gaps where the sections of turf intersect, green sand is being used to make it look natural, and one USMNT coach told <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=4074b50a-2b38-4a52-9958-bbdf27bc3e1f&amp;from=foxsports/foxsoccer/videomodule-home">Grant Wahl of Fox Soccer</a> that the field was like concrete.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Terrible field in Dallas for Gold Cup <a href="http://t.co/Qwk5WfH3Rd">pic.twitter.com/Qwk5WfH3Rd</a></p>
&mdash; Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/statuses/359767906554351616">July 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>What they'll use to fill in the seams:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Pile of green sand to fill in grass gaps in Dallas <a href="http://t.co/jDQfpwz58f">pic.twitter.com/jDQfpwz58f</a></p>
&mdash; Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/statuses/359768075689676800">July 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>The boundaries are awkward as well:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>How are you supposed to take a corner kick with no room? <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ConcacafAmateurHour&amp;src=hash">#ConcacafAmateurHour</a> <a href="http://t.co/F7d6vH6Lmc">pic.twitter.com/F7d6vH6Lmc</a></p>
&mdash; Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/statuses/359770897554477057">July 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>Even from above you can see seams and uneven areas:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Installing real grass in Cowboys Stadium for Wednesday's Gold Cup Soccer matches: USA v Honduras and Mexico v Panama <a href="http://t.co/NoXfkE6EQR">pic.twitter.com/NoXfkE6EQR</a></p>
&mdash; MINKERMAN (@HelloMinkerman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HelloMinkerman/statuses/359511320116211712">July 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-honduras-gold-cup-field-is-awful-pictures-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/british-open-fairway-2013-photo-2013-7This Alarming Grass Photo Gives You An Idea Of Why The British Open Was So Toughhttp://www.businessinsider.com/british-open-fairway-2013-photo-2013-7
Tue, 23 Jul 2013 16:34:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>The British Open at Muirfield played harder than expected last weekend.</p>
<p>Some of the best players in the world <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ten-top-golfers-miss-british-open-cut-2013-7">didn't even make the cut</a>, and if it wasn't for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/phil-mickelsons-incredible-run-on-final-holes-has-him-in-position-to-win-his-first-british-open-2013-7">Phil Mickelson's incredible run on the back nine</a>, no players would have ended up below par.&nbsp;</p>
<p>One reason it was so tough was because the course was so dry. Especially early in the week, balls were rolling through the fairways and skipping off the greens.</p>
<p>To get an idea of what the players were dealing with, <a href="https://twitter.com/david59duval/status/358658458251321344/photo/1">David Duval tweeted a picture</a> of the bone dry fairway.</p>
<p>It looks like straight dirt:</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/51eee68869bedd677b000007-800-1067/british-open-fairway.jpg" border="0" alt="british open fairway" /></p>
<p>Compare that to the perfect fairway at Augusta:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/516428526bb3f7e126000024-1024-768/augusta-national-fairway.jpg" border="0" alt="augusta national fairway" width="800" /></p>
<p>And even the lush rough of the US Open:</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51b1fbcf6bb3f76a24000002-1200-924/us-open-grass-rough.jpg" border="0" alt="us open grass rough" width="800" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/british-open-fairway-2013-photo-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/gif-shows-just-how-much-the-wimbledon-grass-changes-in-two-weeks-2013-7GIF Shows Just How Much The Wimbledon Grass Changes In Two Weekshttp://www.businessinsider.com/gif-shows-just-how-much-the-wimbledon-grass-changes-in-two-weeks-2013-7
Sun, 07 Jul 2013 11:07:00 -0400Cork Gaines
<p>Famous for its grass, there are few things more beautiful in sports than the grass at Wimbledon on day one. But by the end of the fortnight, the grass has taken as much of a beating as the players that compete in the finals.</p>
<p>This year's grass was more notable than previous tournaments, as players were slipping on the grass more than usual leading to a few notable injuries and several other close calls.</p>
<p>Here is a look at just how much the grass changes from day one through Sunday's final, using one image of centre court from each day. And you can see a side-by-side comparison below from Roger Federer's match on day one and the Ladies' Final ...<br /><br /></p>
<center><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5332/9231989768_30d7779427_o.gif" border="0" style="width: 450px;" /></center>
<p><br /><br /></p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51d987caecad04e00b00002e-800-512/1-1565.jpg" border="0" alt="Roger Federer and Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon" width="800" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gif-shows-just-how-much-the-wimbledon-grass-changes-in-two-weeks-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/del-potro-slips-at-wimbledon-gif-2013-7Super Slow-Motion GIF Shows What Slipping On The Wimbledon Grass Does To The Bodyhttp://www.businessinsider.com/del-potro-slips-at-wimbledon-gif-2013-7
Wed, 03 Jul 2013 08:39:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img class="full" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51d41b48ecad040d55000010-800-/jm-del-potro-knee.jpg" border="0" alt="jm del potro knee" width="800" /></p><p>Juan Martin Del Potro took a nasty spill at Wimbledon this morning in the first game of his quarterfinal match against David Ferrer.</p>
<p>Del Potro hyperextended his knee, but was able to return to the match.</p>
<p>Players slipping on the grass <a href="http://tennis.si.com/2013/06/26/daily-bagel-wimbledon-players-slipping/">has been a huge talking point at Wimbledon this year</a>. The courts have been slick because of an abnormally wet June in London, and that has led to some high-profile players hitting the deck.</p>
<p>While these spills look silly, they're actually pretty dangerous. As we can see in this super slow-motion GIF of Del Potro's legs as he fell today, slipping at Wimbledon really puts your body in some awkward positions:</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51d41a80eab8eadb46000000/juan-martin-del-potro-slow-motion.gif" border="0" alt="juan martin del potro slow motion" /></p>
<p>Here's a wide shot of the fall:</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51d41aa56bb3f7a567000015/del-potro-falls.gif" border="0" alt="del potro falls" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/del-potro-slips-at-wimbledon-gif-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/sabine-lisicki-allergic-to-grass-2013-7The 23-Year-Old German Who Beat Serena Williams Is Allergic To The Grass Courts At Wimbledonhttp://www.businessinsider.com/sabine-lisicki-allergic-to-grass-2013-7
Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:01:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/51d2db21ecad04c96600000e-480-/sabine-lisicki-yay.jpg" border="0" alt="sabine lisicki yay" width="480" /></p><p>Sabine Lisicki is allergic to grass.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The 23-year-old German <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/serena-williams-loses-wimbledon-lisicki-2013-7">knocked out Serena Williams yesterday</a> and tossed aside Kaia Kanepi in straight sets today.</p>
<p>With most of the top players gone, she has as good a chance as anyone to win it all on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>
<p>And she's doing it all despite the fact that she's allergic to the very grass courts she's playing on.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thetennisspace.com/sabine-lisicki-interview-i-used-to-hate-grass/">She told The Tennis Space last year</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I have strong grass allergies and everything was against me liking grass. ... I sneeze when I&rsquo;m playing on the grass, but that&rsquo;s just the way it is. I&rsquo;ve learnt to handle that. I guess that&rsquo;s fine."</p>
<p>She's actually really good on grass, even though she sneezes everywhere. She has now made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon in two of the last three years.</p>
<p>After beating Serena, she collapsed onto the court in a celebration that had to aggravate her allergies:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51d2da5969bedd753400000b-1200-799/sabine-lisicki-serena-wimbledon-celebration.jpg" border="0" alt="sabine lisicki serena wimbledon celebration" width="800" /></p>
<p>It's like Michael Phelps being allergic to water:</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51d2db82ecad04296b000000-1200-1701/sabine-lisicki-2012-wimbledon.jpg" border="0" alt="sabine lisicki 2012 wimbledon" width="800" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sabine-lisicki-allergic-to-grass-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/photo-of-the-rough-at-the-us-open-2013-6This Photo Of The Rough At The US Open Is The Scariest Picture Of Grass You'll Ever Seehttp://www.businessinsider.com/photo-of-the-rough-at-the-us-open-2013-6
Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:31:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>The US Open is notoriously the most difficult tournament in the world, and judging by this picture of the rough, next week won't be any different.</p>
<p>Just Rose's caddy <a href="https://twitter.com/Fooch1993/status/342031080238497792">tweeted out a picture</a> from the site of the Open, Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Holy moly. Menacing:</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51b1fbcf6bb3f76a24000002-900-/us-open-grass-rough.jpg" border="0" alt="us open grass rough" width="900" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photo-of-the-rough-at-the-us-open-2013-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/augusta-fairway-looks-like-carpet-photo-2013-4This Close-Up Of The Fairway At Augusta Is One Of The Best Pictures Of Grass You'll Ever Seehttp://www.businessinsider.com/augusta-fairway-looks-like-carpet-photo-2013-4
Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:53:00 -0400Tony Manfred
<p>Augusta National is defined by its impeccably manicured grounds. The course is closed for in the hot summer months, and come time for the Masters there's barely a single pine straw out of place.</p>
<p>This morning at his press conference, Rory McIlroy even said <a href="https://twitter.com/thedoublebogey/status/321625904067538944">it takes time to convince yourself that its okay to take a divot</a> on one of Augusta's carpet-like fairways.</p>
<p>David Tindall of Sky Sports <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveTindallgolf/status/321628172749791232">tweeted out a photo of the first fairway</a>, and it gives you an idea of what Rory is talking about.</p>
<p>Look at this grass. Perfection (<a href="https://twitter.com/thedoublebogey">h/t @thedoublebogey</a>):</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/516428526bb3f7e126000024-620-/augusta-national-fairway.jpg" border="0" alt="augusta national fairway" width="620" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/augusta-fairway-looks-like-carpet-photo-2013-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>